CLE wants Manziel to fit into their definition of a QB...quiet, stoic, boring.

He is not, but it's not like Joe Namath was either, and he had some success. So did Jim McMahon, who, legend has it, never watched a frame of film in the Bears' Super Bowl campaign, saying "he had a different angle."

I have no idea why Kidd decided to change the starters, but do not question his results. After allowing 87 yesterday, they gave up 74 tonight.

I'm not a hockey fan, but sometimes you'll hear a story about a coach pulling his goalie not because the goalie was the problem, but to call out the team. When the players see a teammate that has done a fine job go to the bench because of overall ineptness, the result is usually anger and more, better effort.

The Hornets and the Nuggets are far from the Warriors, but for a team that's given up an average of 112 in their losses, it's proof the problem was not skill, prep, or bad luck; but a simple lack of desire to stop your opponent. Defense is about 60% effort. Without that, you're not going to stop anybody. Words were not working, so actions were necessary. A fire has been lit, it would seem.

And to be honest, some of it is the result of a slower pace, meaning fewer possessions for both teams. I think Kidd has decided he'll concern himself with that after he fixes the defense.

Vasquez listed as questionable tonight, and has not played that I have seen, because of an ankle injury.

I saw at least a half dozen people on Twitter yesterday complain that he was either inactive or benched, and they traded two picks for him, and the horror, blah blah blah. These are the same people that spoke all last year and offseason about players dunking and the like, and are now just beside themselves that they are not winning, but, of course, are clueless as to why.

The Bucks' blogosphere is incredibly weak. If someone with a rudimentary knowledge of the game would start writing about it, that person would be number one by default.

I watched about half the game yesterday, and am flipping between the Bucks and MNF, and MIL looks like a different team...much better defense, five guys going for the defensive rebound, and not much dribbling and then shooting a jumper.

NBA coaches have little to motivate with, as all the players, even the rookies and minimum salary guys, are set for life, and in more than one case, teams have quit on the coach, gone to the GM, and the GM has sided with the players, and in response to the mutiny, has told the coach to walk the plank. The one thing he has is playing time, and replacing two starters with "guys who have been communicating well on defense" has made a mark, through a game and a quarter at least.

Will it lead to more wins? Time will tell. Even if you play good, tough D, you still have to hit shots, and even though they have been awful on defense, they've only been mediocre on offense.

The one thing Kidd has is job security, he is very likely to be there longer than the players. Many coaches lack that, and the players know it, and the inmates effectively run the asylum.

Rambling wife picked up the Rambling son today. Stopped at Target to buy a couple things. Rambling son informs her he has one more left of his meds he takes nightly. Choices are 20 for $4, or 50 for $6.

At Wal Mart, 200 are $8. This, my friends is why Wal Mart is the king of retail, and Target, well, is struggling.

Pats/Broncos gets a 16.2 rating, peaked at 10:30-11 our time, 17.6. Far more people are watching late than people think. Surprised that the Seahawks/Steelers that bled over into prime time actually got a 16.7, higher than the SNF, far sexier matchup.

Anti-police rhetoric coming from the left + our media for 2 years is the reason that officer is dead in Co. Springs--Stephen Miller
One can argue that is not true, but when you choose to criticize cops and defend criminals and criminal behavior, you made your own bed.

This gent was a year behind me in school. The trouble with his business is simple...one, it's still in its infancy, very few restaurants survive five years (I've heard 1 in 7). Two, what if you don't care for that single type of coffee?

Good luck to him though, it's a scary thing starting a new business, never mind when you're our age.

EDIT: Of course, as a single guy, it's probably less of a risk for him.

I think they are simply years ahead of the rest of the league. They actually seem to consider the big picture instead of alternating between short term emotions of panic, celebration, and disappointment. They, along with the Patriots, are what sports franchises should strive to be.

It's amazing I can ever get a wink of sleep knowing we're all going to burn up...I'm sorry, enter another mini ice age in a decade and a half.

For those curious, a mini ice age means temps will be up to a single degree Celsius cooler than average, that's about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Somehow, we've survived many of these before, even back when we were, compared to today, technological neanderthals. Many say we are just coming out of one that ended in the mid 1800's, as it is a fraction of degree warmer now than it was a century or so ago, which, makes perfect sense, if the data points are true.

Decided to bite the bullet (hopefully, no readers will be offended by my weapons/ammo reference/analogy) and have a tech come out and diagnose our dishwasher problem.

The Rambling dad in law thinks he can buy a part and replace it, or install a new one; but he did not know if he could properly figure out what was wrong with it, buying 2-3 new parts would be more expensive than a new one.

Hi readers. Quick request for you. I was wondering if any of you had a favorite piece I had written.

If you cannot find a link (you can use the crappy search box in the upper left if you wish), the subject and approximate date is fine. Any subject is fine, doesn't have to be about the Brewers, or personal, or politics.

If you have one in mind, my Twitter and email are on the sidebar. I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

CBS Cowboys-Panthers best T-Day day game overnight since 1996. Bears-Packers best T-Day primetime game ever.--Sports TV ratings

I'm telling you, these huge rights fees are about to burst the bubble.

Ohio State’s blowout win over Michigan on ABC on Saturday drew a 6.8
overnight, making it the highest-rated game of the weekend and
second-highest overnight of the 2015 season behind Ohio State-Michigan
State. Ohio State’s season-opening win over Virginia Tech on Sept. 7 on
ESPN is the third highest overnight this season (6.6).--SI.com

They can't go up forever.Fox's coverage of Stanford-Notre Dame drew net's highest overnight rating ever for a reg-season CFB game on Fox.--SI.com

Never mind.
Not only do people continue to watch, but no one DVR's live sports (well, a few do, but none compared to normal TV). It's also the best way to promote movies, because the sports demo does very well in the males 18-34 age group...also a prime movie going demo.

One of the sports network pointed out how perfectly the college football playoff is set up...as long as Clemson and Alabama win their last game. Bama is a huge favorite (12 points) , and Clemson by a TD; but a loss by either throws it into chaos.

Bucks going to start Bayless and Mayo, both of whom have been playing well and playing hard every time I see them. I assume Kidd just trying to shake things up a bit, as who starts is not really very important.

The Rambling son has barely seen any deer at all since the opening weekend, but they are bring home roasts and steaks from one my sister in law's husband (I always call him my brother in law, though I guess that is, in fact, incorrect, though far easier to say) got. Sounds like he is pretty tired of going out and not seeing anything, which I suppose makes sense. Some people love sitting out in the woods and sun for hours. Some do not.

Depending on the results of 3 teams' final game, 2-5 teams with 5-7 records will end up in bowl games.

This will bother lots of people, but I love watching bowls regardless, and many good teams who played tough schedules end up 5-7. Minnesota, Illinois, and Nebraska are all good teams who lost some close games and are all better than several 6-6 and 7-5 clubs.

If you see the new Hunger Games movie, stay until after the end credits. I did, and after about an hour they started showing Spectre.--Glenn Moore
Heh. Of course, many people, especially the young and the poor, stick around for more than a single movie, and gasp, only pay for one (known as movie hopping or movie jumping.

I've read numerous times that movie theater associates are well aware of this, and rarely do anything about it, though they make exceptions if a showing is expected to be a near sellout, or if lots of kids are sneaking into a R rated film.

I added an extra package for the long weekend, as I DVR'd a bunch of James Bond movies on Epix. Since I have the extra Big Ten "alternate" channels, it worked out nicely when the Big Ten switched me to the Badgers/Gophers, with about 4 minutes left in the Hoosiers/Boilers game I had watched all afternoon. After a few minutes, the alternate was switched to the Badgers' game as well, meaning I had that game on BTN, BTN alternate 1, and BTN alternate 2; and no channel carrying the end of the other game.

As is the case many years, players are not only getting more than projected, but more years guaranteed as well. If Happ is worth an average of $12M per, that means a guy like Gallardo is worth $15-16M per, and anyone better than him, such as Zimmerman and the like will see $20-25M.

I think that not only was there a bit of fatigue, retailers tried to "scale back" the bargains a bit, thinking they were smarter than the consumer. They ain't. The public votes with their wallets, and they're always right.

I cannot believe how many people mentioned bars on the night before Thanksgiving on Twitter and Facebook. Mostly complaints about seeing people from high school, which, at best, seems very strange.

I had forgotten how busy of a bar night that is, I recall working that night often at the pizza place in college and after and the bar rush was hellishly busy, like a normal FRI/SAT night. Of course, we never had a weekend size staff working, so if we closed at 2, we were lucky to clock out before 3 or 3:30...which made that 8AM alarm to shower and drive home seem mighty early. In later years, we closed at 1, and the phone rang seemingly nonstop from 1 until the time we left.

Spurs announce Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili will stay home from Friday's game at Denver to rest.

SA is the only team that does this, at least as openly as they do. I think in the future, this will be very common...it wouldn't surprise me if MLB teams will give players series off, especially if it's only a one series road trip.
It's still considered "manly" or "tough" to try to play through injuries, even if their performance goes down the tubes (think of Garza last season), and as analytics continues to grow over traditional scouting (his girlfriend is ugly, his butt is too big), this will become more and more commonplace. Rest and health are vital to success in September and October.

Online news seem to indicate lines of shoppers are shorter than in previous years...this could be due to weather, lesser deals, or simply shopper fatigue. The Rambling wife and I thought the TV deals were pretty good, but simply have no use for one. Heck, the Rambling son uses an "old" TV for one of his computer monitors, so we even have a backup.

I would assume the Packers playing and Favre ceremony will knock sales down in WI a bit, or maybe create a "late rush" about 11, after the game.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, but a special mention to those who are
working today without a fraction of the fanfare of those in retail; our
police and firefighters, EMT's, those that take care of the elderly and
those that work in hospitals, restaurant/hotel folks, convenience stores,
movie theaters, and so on.

And a special mention to those in
the military, who volunteered to sign on the dotted line to serve and
defend, many of whom are halfway around the world for the holiday.

The Food Network tweeted that they are having a "real time Thanksgiving," such as making the sides, putting the turkey in, and so on...but they must be doing it online, as the network is just repeats today.

Maybe this is somewhat of a "dress rehearsal" for the future, but, I think many people would have it on in the background all day. It'd also be a way to promote their on air talent, as they could bounce from person to person making different stuff.

Dukasis is right, but, to be honest, you can only eat so much soup and need so much stock. Considering Aldi sells chicken broth for 35 cents a can (and you can buy the powdered stuff for like a dime a serving), and that most people see all that he does as "work," as usual, he comes off looking like a loon.

Note on Yadi Rivera...yes, he put up a .405/.425 line in the AFL. Sadly, he did that while putting up an unsustainable .431 BAbip.

Far more lucky than good. I'm happy he walked 10 times in less than 90 PA's. He didn't suddenly improve offensively, he just found some holes. He's still young, and he has a great glove. But let's not pretend he's anything more than he was a couple months ago...a work in progress.

Among the highlights is using bottled water to cook with and being thankful for the latest video game. It's funny because it's true.

ADDED: Lots of jokes about there being five different casseroles on the table. That's very true.

Working in retail, I was surprised how many people go to restaurants on Thanksgiving, and also, many people have roast beef (or prime rib, or steaks) with the turkey (though the most popular alternate main dish is ham).

Today (and all week actually), I called many of my clients to wish them a happy holiday. Funny, even though on TV, you always hear about people eating the "big meal" in late afternoon, say between 3 and 6, everyone I spoke with is eating between noon and 2. Not sure if this is left over from when many people farmed or what, but it was interesting.

If you drive, please slow down and travel safely. And, if you shop, remember, those people in the store probably did not cause the problem; nameless, faceless corporations did.

Watching the Pioneer Woman and Southern at Heart on Food Network do stuff with Tgiving leftovers.

Yeah for timely programming, but I just always eat them the same way I did the day before. I guess I'm not very inventive.

I told the Rambling wife I was scratching the cheesy potatoes from my holiday meal tomorrow (I planned it all out just like Mario Batali does, though my crocs are Brewers' ones, and are not orange). She asked why, and I said I did not see me finishing the leftovers by the end of the day Friday, and I will go back to yummy, low carb eating as of the weekend. She informed me I was a wise man...at least that's what I heard.

I requested some books from the library Sunday night, but only one arrived by this morning (another showed up this afternoon, but, like I'm leaving the house again). I went to the little hold area, found my book, and noticed below the shelf with the holds, there was about a dozen books just lying there. I figured maybe these had just arrived and they had not had time to alphabetize them, so I looked through them...nope, the entire pile was all for the same person.

Hey Al, Going to type this up right before I leave for the long weekend. In regards to families eating late, we always had our Thanksgiving meal about 5:30 or 6, mostly out of respect to the hunters, who would then hunt all day, go home, get cleaned up, and grace us with their presence. Love your Ramblings sir, thank you. Chris

I'm still up at the hunting cabin, we're seeing some does but no bucks. Drove into civilization to submit my summary. For the week you were 8 - 6 which put you in 67th out of 141 experts. Top picker for the week was Gordon McGuiness at 12 - 2. Your season tally is 94 - 66 for 82nd place. Gordon McGuiness (ProFootballFocus) and Josh Katzowitz (Forbes) lead the pack with 109 - 51 records.

There's 6 toss up games to help gain ground if you can get them correct. They are TB/Indy, Minnesota/Atlanta, Pitt/Seattle, Oakland/Tenn, Philly/Detroit, and Carolina/Dallas. Of course you know that at least two of the overwhelming favorites will lose too. Your guess is as good as anyone's which ones it will be.

Have a good turkey day!

Jim

Jim, showing more dedication than Ramblings deserves. Thank you sir.
I made my survivor pick Monday night (took ARI, though I hated to do so, first road team I've taken this year), and glanced at the lines...all but a couple games are within a TD, most within 3-4 points. I'd already taken the Packers, so I had to go with the other heavy favorite, which meant taking a visitor.

I often joke The Onion doesn't try to be funny as much as they try to "make a point" and basically be anti capitalist, but I've seen two links in the past 24 hours that are both hellishly funny, well, at least the headlines are.

I was surprised DAL is a 1-2 point favorite, and am torn on every game Thursday. I would normally just pick all the home teams, and still may, but I could see all three road teams winning...even the Bears, who I would be shocked if I picked, who are a pretty solid team since starting 0-3.

The last tweet on Zobrist was not simply speculation. Nationals are interested in Zobrist. So are many other clubs. Fits almost all.--Rosenthal

Nothing is more overrated in MLB than a guy who can play several positions and closers. That said, both are valuable cogs, just not nearly as valuable as fans (and some teams) act as if they are.
Ben Zobrist is a nice player. However, his worth is not as high as some would think due to a couple reasons:
1. He can play anywhere, right? Well, kind of. Games played at each position below.

2B--616
RF--336
SS--229
LF--111
CF--34
1B--17
3B--8

So, he is basically a 2B/SS/LF/RF, which is nice, but not as sexy as "he can play anywhere."

2. So, he can play four positions (and I assume, is plenty capable of playing 1B just fine), BUT...should he?

He has a nice stat line of .356/.413, which is very good for a 2B/SS, but nothing great for a LF/RF. Therefore, playing him in a corner OF spot, and having a middle infielder, most of which don't hit a whole lot, is probably not in the best interests of winning.

Also, Ben is going to be 35 next season. As a below average defender at SS, he probably is not going to improve, and is quite likely to decline, and probably quickly.

So, it's probably safe to say Zobrist is a 2B/LF/RF...who should be probably be playing 2B most every day. It's nice he has the versatility in case you have no OF depth and a AAA 2B ready to step in and play every day...though in that scenario, you probably are not going to sign him to a contract that pays him $12-15M per anyway.

Impassable roads lead to school cancellation today. Good! An "ice day" today allows the kids to help me decorate for the family Thanksgiving gathering here; and we'll show Tripp how to use the new snowplow on the 4-wheeler; and this lets me remind them how "tough" kids were back-in-the-day when school was never cancelled, despite conditions like Todd's elementary school only shutting down when it was -55 or below. So his teachers would insist for days on end during cold spells that it only reached minus -50 despite the weather report, so school was always on!--Sarah Palin
I tell you what, I have no problem with them canceling school for bad weather, as safety is far more important. But yes, we never knew what a "cold" day was. I remember once, it was about 20 below, and as per usual, I trekked to the end of our driveway, about a quarter mile from the house. After waiting for about 15 minutes, I was shocked to hear my mom's voice. She had come to tell me the bus was running about 30 minutes late, per the radio. Of course, it really did not matter, as I did not have a choice in the matter, I could not see the bus from the house, so my options were either wait patiently or go warm up and risk missing the bus, which would have went over like the proverbial fart in church.

I got on the bus a while later, and there was only one other person that got on before me, a neighbor who was in the same year as me. I had barely got on and he was telling me how he was able to wait in their shed, and I must be darn near froze to death standing out in that cold and wind for all that time. I'm sure I was mighty cold, but the strange thing is, the thing I remember that day? That every house we came to, our driver would honk the horn, wait a while, honk again, and how few people rode the bus that day. Most must have either got a ride or stayed home, as instead of the usual 40 kids, we had about 10. They didn't cancel school, but most folks decided it was not worth it. I'm sure I didn't learn anything that was life changing, to say the least.

There have been times in our nation's history when the president would get leaders from other troublesome countries on the phone, rip into them, and inform them they need to get in line well behind the USA or risk massive economic sanctions and possible military retribution. Said countries would cower in fear and back down.

Today, I have to imagine the conversation involves the fact Turkey is causing problems, during Thanksgiving week, when a lot of turkey is consumed. This is followed by awkward laughter and an uncomfortable feeling that this is actually our foreign policy, or lack thereof.

If you give a student free tuition, they will ask for free room and board. We've built such a culture of victimhood, we have white people pretending to be black to cash in, because they're fame and attention whores.

By the way, we already offer free and discounted tuition, it's called the GI Bill. Many brave men and women qualify for it every year, and many whiny complainers do not. The hell with them.

Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but some agents believe that the
Brewers could spend on select free agents in January and February even
after they trade off more veteran talent.

Owner Mark Attanasio has shown a penchant for waiting out the market – he signed Kyle Lohse
in March 2013, Matt Garza in Jan. 2014 and K-Rod in March 2015. It is
possible that the large number of free agents could lead to late
bargains.--Rosenthal

I would say it might be even more likely this season,as they will, almost certainly, have very little committed for 2016 payroll, and free agents at that stage of the offseason will be likely to accept a one year contract at market value. Not only could they shore up weak links, those players could be traded after mid June.

Al,Just wanted to shoot you a note (don't be offended by my gun analogy) about being an adapter of the Ramblings lifestyle. My wife took a new job a few years ago, so we moved to Nashville. Both of our families are from WI, so we're about eight hours from her's, eleven from mine. We take the week between Xmas and New Year's off, she usually takes 10-12 days, depending on when the weekend falls, I take a week, so Xmas is always pretty relaxing, a long drive, but easy to schedule, as my family usually gets together the weekend following the 25th.

But, Thanksgiving has always sucked. She's off Wed-Sun, and I can take a day, so we usually left Tuesday afternoon, drove until 2 or 3AM, spent a couple days in Racine, and then drove to Tomah Friday morning, also staying two days. Sunday, bright and early, we'd get in the car and drive the long way home, usually making it about 9 or 10PM. Exhausted, we'd fall into bed and a few hours later, the work week would begin. Every year, the work week seems to crawl by, often made worse by colds or illness.

Last year, we tried flying, and it was not much better, as flights are limited, and often delayed, and cost an arm and a leg, including a rental car for 5 days that we barely used except for the Racine-Tomah trek. We flew out of Minneapolis to go home, got socked with fees for miles, two one-way flights, and a one way rental, it cost more than a week long vacation to Vegas or Hawaii, and was just as hurried as driving. We talked about it late this summer, and we finally decided to skip it this year. Going to stay home, take it easy, and just see how it goes. Both families were fine with it, do what you want. Well, it's still days away, and we are already thrilled. No packing. No getting the car tuned up. No stress. We went grocery shopping last night, bought our first turkey ever, even though we could have got by without, but we've never had one, and are looking forward to leftovers. Decided on the menu, added sides we both like. Decided to have our big meal at 1 or so, and then make homemade pizza while we watch the Packers that night. Both of us, despite never spending a Thanksgiving not at family's, are looking forward to a long weekend of relaxing. Bought tickets to the comedy club Friday night, they were running a 2 for 1 deal because it's a slow weekend for them. Probably go to dinner and a movie Wednesday night, it's just like a Friday. No matter how much we spend, it will be a fraction of our travel costs. My wife is treating her assistant to a spa day for Xmas, and when you buy a deluxe package, you get a gift card for yourself, so she's using that Saturday. We will probably binge watch a favorite show or two, as we always say we will, but always get caught up doing other stuff. Well, no one schedules anything Thanksgiving weekend, as so many are on the road.It's like a vacation that we don't have to use vacation days to take. Don't have to take Wednesday off, so we can both work on a quiet day. You know what? We're both looking forward to Xmas more, because it will be the first time we've been home since summer. At first we thought we were being selfish, but you know what? We should be. It's our time and money. Having never done this, we are finding out it is good to stay home when most people are traveling, not to mention how much fun a staycation can be, it's like being retired for a few days!Enjoy the blog, keep it up. RR

Heck, I never realized being an antisocial contrarian could be considered a "lifestyle." :)

That said, enjoy yourself and sleep in while you're at it. If everyone did this, they might not be so grouchy and negative all the time.
I also would like to say, there's something to be said about traditions, there's something to be said about breaking them. I often say that a "tradition" is just doing the same old thing over and over. Many of us do so without even realizing it. For years, we went to the Rambling wife's family on Xmas Eve because that's when they did their gifts and big, yummy meal. I often had to work until 5/6PM Xmas Eve, and would have to drive a long way in cold, snowy weather, after a long work day. Heck, her grandparents had a get together AFTER midnight mass, which, every other year, was actually at midnight. So, after working from 6 or 7AM, driving, family time, and church, I'd spend my 1:30-3AM eating cheese and crackers and asking if I could go to bed yet.

It was "tradition."

Finally, I was saved by the Rambling wife's sisters getting married and realizing they were not the only family that had a Xmas Eve tradition, and no matter how hard you try, you can't be two places at once. Now, we're the easiest ones to schedule, as my side of the family is pretty open to having Xmas on the 25th, 26th, the Saturday after, New Year's, or whatever.

Highest rated college football game in that time slot since 2006? Goodness. And bare in mind, many fans were watching the Badgers/Wildcats on BTN. Of course, there are so many good games on at 7PM our time, most weekends, 4-5, that audience gets split far more.

Al,Longtime reader, first time caller. I have read several times in the last couple days that teams can no longer add players to the 40 man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 draft. However, the draft itself is not for a couple weeks. Is there a moratorium on trades in the meantime, as no team is going to get a player if they might lose them, right? Also, what if a team has 40 players on the 40, and signs a free agent? Jeff

Welcome Jeff, and thanks for writing. Friday at midnight was the deadline for adding players from your own organization to the 40. This is probably left over from the days before the internet, as teams had to research by hand who was eligible and gather scouting reports on each. You could probably hold the draft Monday now and teams would make the same decisions.
As for the trades and free agents, teams can still add players they sign, and if they really like a player available for the draft or on waivers, they might drop a player or two as well. Many teams wait as long as possible, because a team might pick up a player if they have an opening, but not if they are full. The longer you wait, in theory, the more likely a player is to make it through without being claimed.

The irony is, it's the same situation as the Dez Bryant catch in the playoff game. Yet, Badgers' fans, looking through red colored glasses, insist one was a correct call and one was not.

The truth is, both should have been catches, and TD's. If you have control of the ball at any time in the end zone, that's a TD. As Mark Cuban said after the Bryant fiasco, if he would have been handed the ball on a reverse, Dez would have been given six points. Because he was thrown the ball, it was not. That's a glaring error in the way the rules are enforced and the game is officiated, and should be fixed. As of yet, neither the pros or college have, probably because they're too busy putting gigantic wads of cash into small burlap bags with a $ on them, ala Scrooge McDuck.

Watching college football, I find it astounding how often teams run the ball to the narrow side of the field, as opposed to the "wide" side, as the hashmarks are very offset in the college game.

I realize you can't always go the wide side, as the defense would only have to defend half the field, but, mathematically, it simply makes sense to go to the "wide" side 2/3rd's to 3/4th's of the time. Teams don't even seem to take it into consideration.

I am saying, however, that it's likely just like when I was in college...a lot of students are just there because they don't know what else to do, and their behavior is immature, abhorrent, and exactly what one would expect from a group that has been coddled and supported by their parents and society their entire lives with participation certificates and "everyone's a winner" mindset.

This is the day each year when casuals insist their team is going to lose several players in the Rule 5. However, it is very rare for a team to lose more than a single player, and most of those players end up returning.

The Crew has 2-3 guys that could easily be lost, Wang would be the most likely to me, as a LHP who throws 93+ and has a plus change up can seemingly easily be hidden as the mop up man, could be used as a loogy at times...heck, he already was once, and he has an extra season of development now. Sadly, this is a result of getting so many solid prospects at the deadline, some of which had to be added to the 40.

Also, it's simply a sign of more depth in the farm system...they now are probably the 7th-10th ranked system, so they are bound to have more talent than when ranked in the low 20's, however off those were.

Almost all the top Rule 5 picks are pitchers, but if I were in Stearns' shoes:

1. I might have to wear several pairs of socks (old joke, but a good one).

2. I might take a couple guys, though it would be unlikely I'd keep both. The cost is so low ($50K, with $25K back if returned) compared to draft picks, it's a talent acquisition source you almost have to utilize.

The Rambling son calls to report they only saw two doe all morning, and it is cold and windy outside. Having chili for lunch, which, ironically, is what I made myself in the crock pot too.

EDIT: Emailers asking how much snow they have...he is in the Eau Claire area, so I do not believe they have any. We don't have a flake in Wausau, though they are making some at the ski resort/park, so some may float down, in the retail part of town mostly.

EDIT 2: Also, I looked it up, "doe" or "does" are both correct plurals of doe.

Whenever you allow busybodies to try to regulate the unimportant because "they know better", you end up with the Obama administration, seven years of embarrassingly spending a fortune on school lunches that get thrown away, and saying something ignorant about terror every other week.

I don't know why, but I just went into my work email to see if I had anything to reply to, and saw I was sent a training seminar for a product I need to complete ASAP. I usually never do stuff like this on the weekend, but decided to knock it out quick tonight, thinking it would take about 15 minutes.

Went in, paged through the 20 pages or so of info, hit "yes" on the did you review the info question, and it came up, "You have completed the exam."

Facebook "friend" says they flew from NY-Chicago-LA today (using airport symbols, as false modesty, like someone who says they went to school in New Haven, rather than saying Yale), and complained about how loud two children were traveling on the plane on the 2nd half of the journey.

Not often you see a humblebrag combined with a stereotypical complaint, almost always made by the single and childless.

Gun deer registration is up 2K in WI this year, which I assume is great news, considering declining hunters in recent years equals less deer killed and more deer to be hit by cars driven by folks like me.

Hopefully, with the warm weather in much of the state, they'll sell a few more thousand over the weekend and for over the holiday weekend.

The carnage has begun, teams waiting until the close of business Friday and hoping other clubs do not have 40 man spots available. Check out MLBTR...already a couple very interesting names, LJ Hoes of the Astros, much like Flores and Villar, walks a ton, a near .400 OBP in AAA as a 22-25 year old, who some said was in the Gomez deal until Fiers was added, and was then replaced with Phillips; Allen Webster of the DBacks as well, a top 100 prospect from 2012-14.

As with any DFA, all it takes is a 40 man spot to get them, while a Rule 5 pick requires a team keep them all year (and 90 days of active service before 9/1). Stearns might well be very familiar with Hoes from his Astros' days.

There’s “lots of activity” on Brewers first baseman (and prospective DH) Adam Lind, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter.
The righty-masher could end up being the next veteran asset shipped out
of Milwaukee, says Rosenthal, and that certainly wouldn’t be
surprising.--MLBTR

Wouldn't be any surprise at all, though the Rule 5 draft may slow things up, or cause them to request younger, less experienced players.

I must admit, the left's unhidden lack of concern over the genocide of millions all over the globe in the past 50 years is as offensive as their unwavering belief that government taking money from those earned it "sparks" economic growth.

I gotta agree with the one fella that says he would not be surprised with any opening weekend...$300M is almost expected now, and considering Jurassic Park sequel this past summer did $208M...and I barely knew it was opening. Saying it could double The Lost World makes perfect sense to me...though the weekend before Xmas may hinder some from going, be it they work in retail or have family obligations...though it's difficult to believe any true fan of the genre, the franchise, or movies in general would not have three hours to spare between Thursday evening and Sunday late night...and it will be playing nearly 24 hours a day, or in my "little" 10 plex, it will be on 6 screens from 9AM-3AM.

And, lest we forget, many fans will insist on seeing it twice, I'm sure far more than Lost World.

Flores is an OBP machine, and still quite young, and while he had played all 3 OF spots, has spent the majority of his time in LF...not sure if that is a lack of range/speed, arm, or just team need.

My assumption yesterday than Villar was almost a twin of Sardinas proved to be accurate, I think. Thus far, both Stearns' early acquisitions are OBP and doubles heavy, which might be a plan or just a coincidence.

Early thoughts? I'd say mine is simple...though Flores may profile nicely as a reserve, I'd be a little less surprised to see Davis moved, as Santana is not going anywhere, Phillips is a year away at most, and I doubt Braun is headed anywhere either.

EDIT: Another early trend with Stearns? Not afraid to trade for a player with no options. Does not seem bothered by age, options, position need. Simply wants to add talent. I think the proper term is "an inventory buyer"...like the manager of a used car lot that happily buys a Corvette even though he has six on the lot. Why? Because he knows guys like to buy Corvettes.

Crew adds 3 to 40, though they could still add more, very predictable, Arcia and the two hardest throwers. Roache, Wang, a couple others could easily be taken unless added later. Roster stands at 38, though players could be dropped anytime, and added until midnight to be protected.

I'd protect Wang and Roache over Strong and Fields myself, but, then of course, no one asked me.

I find it funny that casuals insist Garza's contract is "bad" when in reality, if he returns to his normal, healthy self, he's likely underpaid in today's market. All injured players are overpaid by definition.

Obama put his head in the sand, he dismissed them as the JV team & the results have been disastrous.--Marc Thiessen

I think we all realized he would be completely over his head on foreign policy. Surprisingly, telling thugs where to picket and disrupt capitalism is not good training for being commander in chief of the most powerful nation in the history of the planet.
Who'd a thunk it?

The Rambling wife's family has decided they will be having Tgiving dinner at her sister's house in the Twin Cities. Now, the Rambling son leaves tomorrow for hunting season, and the Rambling wife will head over for a long weekend next Wednesday. I might go over for the meal if it was in the Durand area, but there's no way I'm driving 3-3.5 hours one way, even if Mario Batali was cooking and Anna Kournikova was serving.

So, I told the Rambling wife to reply and let them know I would not be attending. Her answer? Oh they know. In fact, the email says "wanted to let you and the Rambling son know."

I should write an article entitled, "How to become the black sheep no one expects to show up." Annually, I hear someone bemoan having to go to several holiday dinners, and I always advise them "just say you're not going to make it this year."

The look of shock is always priceless, but why would I spend 7 hours of my life and $30 in gas money to have a meal that's only slightly better than what I can make for $10...and I get all the yummy leftovers? You don't get those hours back, my friends. If you stay home, sit in your boxers and a dirty Tshirt, and enjoy the games, odds are you will really enjoy it...I especially like squeezing in an hour long nap myself...especially if you have to work Friday.

I see the Cards added Aledmys Diaz, the Cuban SS they removed earlier in the year, even though he was not ranked in their top 30 prospects. I suggested the Crew (or any team) take him then, as he is owed decent money, but was a plaus player in Cuba, probably meaning his floor is as a reserve infielder.

I'll have an update soon on Villar, the previous one came from my phone sitting outside Target. I did not put Villar on my long list of 3B possibilities because I felt he was "too much" of a prospect, and too young. He could easily fit in as a 2B/SS/3B/utility guy, and since he's out of options, he is all but certain to be on the 25 man at least to begin 2016.

I assume MIL was able to pry him loose because the Astros have Altuve and Lowrie up the middle, and he had no options left, limiting their flexibility. This could mean a variety of things, Segura is even more in play, Gennett possibly too, that Villar is a contender for the 3B spot, or that, again, Stearns is just adding young talent, and had a 40 man spot available for him.

Looking at his defensive metrics, Villar looks to be overmatched at SS, so a switch to 3B (or possibly 2B) is likely a good idea. When you're looking at guys like this, they often have warts...if not, they'd be Orlando Arcia, and guys like that are not available.

He also has 40n SB's in about 1.3 MLB seasons (if he played every day) and 90 SB's in about 2 seasons of AAA, both at a 75-80% success rate. Exactly 1/3rd of his hits in AAA are for extra bases too, so speed/power guys always receive every chance. Very good ceiling for a utility infielder, who is still just in his year of 25 next year. As a switch hitter, hits about evenly from both sides, though far better from the left side last year in the minors.

1. Can you imagine the self important, insufferable bore who writes such drivel?

2. And, I'm sorry, but is it too much to ask that the ten best sandwiches, you know, look like something I might eat and enjoy? And, if given the choice between one of these for free (Look Al, this one has fermented cabbage!) and reaching for my wallet for $3 for something from McDonald's, you know full well I, and the vast majority of the public, would be passing 3 Washingtons across the counter*.

*This is, of course, assuming I have $3 cash in my wallet, which I rarely do, at least since the day before the day I got married.

The Rambling wife is still making her way back from business training in Chicago, so I'm stuck playing chauffeur to the Rambling son tonight. I just told him we'd be leaving at 6:45, and to make sure he's ready. He said something about me not wanting to take him, and I said, "If I'm lucky, the world will end before that. Wouldn't that be marvelous?"

Since then, he's laughed about a dozen times, followed swiftly by "I think the world's ending," and incessant chuckling and giggling.

He'll be talking about that to his therapist in about 30 years, won't he?

Let them find their own way home, and if they cause any trouble, arrest them again, and take them to Duluth. These are ignorant, unemployed fools with nothing better to do. If their mom or girlfriend has to drive 90 minutes or 3 hours to haul their sorry butt home, they will quickly get the hint to stay out of trouble.

They not only do not know what they're protesting, they couldn't spell protesting if you spotted them the "pro" and the "ing."

One of the many college accounts I follow on Twitter (keep your friends close and your enemies closer) reports they rented out a theater tomorrow night and have Mockingjay 2 tickets available for $3, plus a free bus ride if you wish.

Add that to the proximity of college women at their peak of attractiveness, this is why so many guys spend a decade at college.

The PTBNL is probably related to Rule 5 protection, likely already decided, but the Crew wants to ensure said player is not taken in the Rule 5 draft, so they will wait until after the draft to finalize the choice.

Avila, DET's GM, said they might get a PTBNL too, under a "certain scenario." It's possible the Crew has told DET they may take one of their players in the Rule 5, and then take another as a PTBNL. That could be the scenario the Tigers are referring to.

Reports trickling in Betancourt will not need to be added to the 40 man roster until after the '16 campaign. This opens another spot for a young player to be protected, or claimed on waivers this week, as teams have to finalize who will be protected from the Rule 5 draft, so there will be borderline prospects a plenty floating around, and the Crew has an early priority on them.

The Brewers have to add Arcia, and almost certainly Magnifico. Then, there are several more candidates...Wang, Jacob Barnes, Victor Roache and a couple more on the fringe. And, even though the Crew has a top ten system right now, it would sure seem likely Stearns goes with 38, leaving room for a Rule 5 pick and for another pickup.

I have said in the past it is arrogant to think of all the players that will be unprotected, not a single one of them is better than your worst guy on the 40. I still feel this way, and when you win 68 games, you take advantage of it any way you can.

John Sickels had him one spot below Hernan Perez after the 2014 season, again, likely noting lower floor, higher ceiling:

Age 19, hit .269/.307/.344 in Low-A, not great but he was young for the
level. Skilled defender up the middle, contact-oriented bat has more
potential than the raw stats show, not a power guy but could improve
OBP/average to acceptable levels.

His stats are almost meaningless, as he has been one of the youngest players in his league for two years running. His overall numbers are below average, but he is 2.5 years younger than his league.

After a promising 2014 full-season debut in the Midwest League,
Betancourt held his own in the Florida State League in '15 despite being
one of its younger players. After the season, the Tigers dealt him to
the Brewers in exchange for Francisco Rodriguez.

The young Venezuelan infielder has largely played second base and it is
his best position, with the chance for him to be an above-average
defender there. But he's capable of playing shortstop as well, though
his range -- thanks to his fringy speed -- is probably better suited for
the right side of the diamond.

Betancourt isn't all glove, though, with
a very good feel for making consistent contact. He doesn't walk very
much, but he also doesn't strike out a ton. He's an advanced offensive
player for his age, one who has a line-drive approach to all fields and
has the chance to add a little pop as he matures.

Along with top prospect Orlando Arcia, the Brewers could produce an interesting double-play combination in the coming years.

More to follow, but Stearns only repeated his previous statement, they are looking to acquire controllable young talent. That includes youngsters years away from the majors, which is two things:

1. Doug always targeted players in AA and AAA, because they were closer to the majors and were far "safer"...higher floors. This was not a Doug trade.

2. Going after a middle infielder, arguably the organization's strongest area, is also not a Doug trait. Stearns appears to have treated this deal just like teams do the draft...simply looking for the best available player(s) in return. Granted, this fella might end up as a SS, 2B, 3B. OF...we have no idea, he's years away, and appears to be a tools guy, not a production guy.

3. Those looking for a quick "reset"...not going to be. The main return for an all star closer could have easily been players ready to contribute, or by 2016. They chose a young player loaded with potential, but whose ETA is mid 2017 at the earliest, an that's being very optimistic.

What's really ironic about the hullabaloo over Ronda Rousey before her loss was the UFC guy saying she was "historic" after a dozen fights, in a sport barely a few years old...maybe after 50 wins you could say that?

I have to wonder if a good part of this is just because they're more awake while driving and have fewer accidents. That said, I cannot imagine a lesser concern of anyone that worrying about the fact that caffeine is the most used drug in the world. It's also an extremely mild stimulant.

Moonshiners returns tonight on Discovery. I enjoy it for one simple reason...it's the only show I know that has English subtitles even though all the players speak English...albeit, an Appalachia version of it.

Is it real? I think parts of it are and parts are scripted/planned, with some tension/drama added for the camera.

Badgers playing on Watch ESPN, playing North Dakota's last game as a nickname less team, as they will be either the Fighting Hawks (probably) or the Roughriders after tomorrow.

The Hawks has won every round of the voting, as they have gone down to 5, then 3, and then the final 2. Some deride it as generic and with no special meaning to ND, but after the Fighting Sioux, I think many want to be without controversy and just fit right in.

Whenever you see a deal like this, it always makes you shake your head. Pennington is a perfectly capable middle infielder, but like most reserves, he has no special skills, is not going to improve at his age, and his list of similar players includes guys who struggled to stay in the majors (Luis Rivera, Ronny Cedeno). He's a switch hitter, but he makes lots of outs. He can play 2B/SS/3B (just above average, per advanced metrics), and even has a few games in LF...but his skill set is an embarrassment anywhere except in the middle infield.

The money isn't huge, but you can probably get 90% of the production on the waiver wire in the last week of March for the minimum.

I just saw that only 3 NFL favorites won last weekend, the lowest since 2001, week 7. Before that?

1989.

I'm proud I picked the Vikings, but sadly, that was the only upset I went with. It usually goes far better than that.:) Incredibly bad survivor/eliminator week too, as the Packers and Bengals were heavy favorites, and both lost. 4 of the top 5, and 7 of the top 9 lost. Most fans had already taken the Patriots, so they were only chosen by 1.4%.

7 teams were chosen by less than 0.1%...and 5 of them won. Geesh.

After week two, less than 9% were still alive in survivor polls, and now...0.39%. I think I made it through week 8 or 9 last year, but so did 15-20%.

Jeff Van Gundy said today that being a college coach is like being a GM too, as you control the players and the direction of the program.

I said that last spring when discussing Bo's run of success, and the way he does not go after recruits that are not good students or good people. I've never heard it said other than in my head, so it seemed strange.

Not sure why all the college basketball teams are playing so many games, so soon. I assume it has something to do with the season starting 11/13, and teams having to cram in so many games before the conference season begins in late December, and do not forget, Tgiving and Xmas is in that stretch, though it looks like almost every team in the nation plays in a holiday tournament over the upcoming turkey and shopping weekend.

For instance, the Badgers are playing 4 games in 8 days, more than many NBA clubs, and I saw one team that plays 6 games in 11 days. Needless to say, that seems like an awful lot awful soon.

A few hours before the French terror attack, he insisted Isis was contained, even though terror is, by definition, impossible to contain, as it's just a bunch of horrible evil people with bullets, bombs, or booby traps. It must be fought continually, and destroyed without an ounce of regret.

For a guy who always sides with the rebels, and blames Israel for all its region's troubles, it's an obvious swing and a miss...though the old media can't stop fawning...that's why no one watches them.

Our president already admitted eventual defeat, saying there's really not much you can do if someone is willing to die for their cause. Of course, he's correct in a way, but that's no reason you don't fight it every inch of the way, through intelligence and military strength. Remember, Obama has never used the word "victory" when discussing Iraq or Afghanistan.

There's no reason to get involved in a conflict if you're not going to do all you can to win, and by win, I mean destroying your opponent with no mercy. That's what war is, and if you don't have to win, there's no reason to fight it.

I find it difficult to believe the Broncos would send him out there at 50% instead of resting him and getting him ready for the playoffs. One has to wonder if he's been hurt all season and simply using painkillers, and now the injury has worsened and bothering him anyway.

I pray the American people elect a President with a deep, realistic, intense understanding of foreign policy and terrorism in 2016.--Meghan McCain
Our president spent the bulk of his first speech after a massive terrorist attack justifying terror atttacks.

Oof.

Syria, which he hailed as his biggest success a while back, is in chaos, a terrorist hotbed. Start pointing fingers and hope no one does the math.

Everyone keeps talking about Kaminsky and Dekker, and while true, Gasser, Jackson, and Dukan ate a ton of minutes too. Only about 70 minutes return of the 200 used.

I was shocked to see Hayes, Koenig, and Showalter combined for 117 minutes Friday. Bo has always had a quick hook after turnovers and poor defense...he doesn't have that option right now, it would appear.

Someone on Twitter just said they are 0-for the week going into the late games in the NFL if GB loses.

I have 2 right, I think PIT was a 4 point favorite (with their backup QB starting) and CAR was a 4 point pick over the Titans, so those could have been picked the other way easily. I liked CHI, and hated picking NO on the road, but did not like picking the Skins or against the Rams either.

Our attention span lasts a millisecond, and we're offended by fiction. Our youth is so coddled they insist free speech sucks. We yearn for leadership, and instead we get "ISIS is contained" a couple hours before another terrorist attack that won't be called a terrorist attack by the administration that argues long and hard that climate change is the biggest threat to our freedom.

It's be funny if it was a sitcom, but it's what we got.

11/14/2015 08:44:00 PM

These are the good old days. Some folks are just too busy wishing the streets were paved with gold to enjoy the good times.

Whatever strikes me as
interesting, and serious Milwaukee Brewers thoughts. If you are a believer
in respecting OBP, throwing strikes, and keeping the ball in the park,
you may have found the place you've been searching for. I believe in low taxes, small government, and am not afraid to be labeled patriotic. If you are interested in sausage race results, walk up music, or professional wrestling, you may wish to click elsewhere.

I'm happy to pay taxes to help the helpless. I don't like paying taxes to help the clueless. Look at the Occupy movement...I'm forced to pay taxes to help those whose plight I delight in.--Dennis Miller

If you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, and your life will be brief.--President Trump

Never have lives less lived been more chronicled.--Dennis Miller

I’m going to plead with you, do not cross us. Because if you do, the survivors will write about what we do here for 10,000 years.--Mad Dog Mattis

I have never understood why it is "greed" to want to keep the money you have earned but not greed to want to take somebody else's money.--Thomas Sowell